Darth Vader's arrival on Cophrigin V was sensed by Kuro, and the Jedi Master prepared herself for an encounter with the Dark Lord. Vader found Kuro in her sanctuary and quickly attacked with expectations of cutting her down swiftly, but he was surprised by the skill with which his opponent dueled. Kuro overcame Vader on several occasions, once through use of the Force to subdue him with the surrounding flora and again when she knocked his lightsaber from his grasp. However, the Dark Woman's own strength began to wane before the increasing dark side power of Darth Vader, and she was defeated when the Dark Lord used his lightsaber and the Force to fell a massive tree, which pinned the Dark Woman beneath it. He then moved in for the kill, and An'ya Kuro's body vanished into the Force. Her demise on Cophrigin V resulted in a victory for Darth Vader and one of the final Jedi deaths of Lord Sidious' Great Jedi Purge.

When Vader's Lambda-classshuttle touched down on Cophrigin V, he advised his accompanying stormtroopers to maintain their position with the craft, as his mission did not require their support. The Dark Lord's arrival was sensed through the Force by Kuro, who, in an acceptance of fate, ceased her meditation and readied herself to face Darth Vader in battle. It was not long before Vader appeared at the threshold of a lush sanctuary and was greeted by the mysterious Dark Woman.[2]

An'ya Kuro engaged in a conversation with her executioner that eventually led to a philosophical debate that concerned both the dark and light sides of the Force. Vader's position was that the power of the dark side was greater than that of the light—something that he believed would be obvious to a being who referred to herself as the Dark Woman. Kuro, however, claimed that while the dark path was one easily undertaken, it was one only embarked upon by the faint-of-heart. Her words enraged Darth Vader, who ignited his lightsaber and struck at Kuro. The Dark Woman parried his blow, and an intense duelensued.[2]

Darth Vader had fully expected to defeat the Jedi Master with relative ease, but he was amazed to be faced with an opponent of advanced age and sufficient skill to contend with a Sith Lord. Kuro noted Vader's exceptional dueling talent as well before lunging at him, performing a series of acrobatic maneuvers in an attempt to overwhelm her adversary. The Dark Lord was unrelenting in his defense, and when ample distance had been placed between them, Vader reiterated his belief in the superiority of the dark side as he hurled boulders at Kuro with the Force, only to have them cut to pieces by her purple blade. She then used the Force to manipulate the surrounding plant life and subdue Vader with thorn-covered vines, which rendered the Dark Lord temporarily immobile. Vader was able to block the attack that followed, however, and was also able to repel the Jedi Master as he escaped the plant-restraints under her command.[2]

This time Vader advanced with powerful blows, but these were checked as the Dark Woman retaliated and disappeared into the cover of a nearby waterfall. She emerged behind Darth Vader and caught him unawares, giving her the opportunity to knock his lightsaber from his grasp. Her advantage was short-lived, however, as Vader seized her arm and forced her own lightsaber from her hand. Realizing that the Dark Woman's strength was diminishing, the Sith Lord cast her aside and recalled his own weapon as he prepared to finish her. Kuro recovered her lightsaber but was backed up against an enormous tree. With nowhere to run, Vader sliced the trunk with his lightsaber and used the Force to bring it down upon the Dark Woman. Pinned beneath the tree, Kuro laid helplessly as Vader brought his blade down for the killing stroke. Her body then disappeared into the Force in the manner of Jedi Masters, leaving only her robes and a victorious Darth Vader.[2]

Immediately after her death, An'ya Kuro appeared to Darth Vader as a Force ghost. Addressing him as Anakin Skywalker, the man he was before he embraced the dark side of the Force,[6] Kuro stated that in death, she proved that the light side of the Force possessed greater power[7] and that she saw within him the potential to become free of the dark side's influence. Vader, however, did not seek emancipation and struck at the apparition with his lightsaber in defiance of his former identity. Kuro's ghost then vanished, and Darth Vader departed, having successfully executed yet another victim in accordance with the Great Jedi Purge.[6]

At the end of the duel, the dialogue between An'ya Kuro and Darth Vader was altered between the original two-part version found in Star Wars Tales 1 and Star Wars Tales 2 and the trade paperback version in Star Wars Tales Volume 1, which combined the two. The changed dialogue is found when the Dark Woman's Force ghost appears before Vader. In the original version, the Dark Woman speaks to Darth Vader and calls him by his original name, thus eliciting a response from him;[6] in the trade paperback version, only the Dark Woman speaks as Vader listens.[7]